Shadow Gryphon
by Shamise
Summary: AU. Yugi never liked the stories about knights, dragons, and pretty madiens. They were too predictable. The dragon would die and the knight would win while the madien proclamed her love. No, Yugi didn't like those stories. He liked the ones with Gryphons.
1. Chapter 1

_**I cant believe that I actually posted something. I've spent alot of time reading ygo fanfics and I've noticed that there werent very many ones with a gryphon in it.**_

_**This is my first story so please be nice with the reviews.**_

**_This story idea kinda came to me when I saw a picture of a boy and a gryphon, and it kinda exploded on me last night. So this is just the result of me not being able to sleep and my over-reactive imagination._**

**_Notes: I dotn have any warnings yet but I might if I continue this fic. Wait, there is one swear word in this chapter just to let you know. Um, the setting is like midevil times. You know, villiages and power hungry nobles. There is slavery and different levels of society. And this is an ATERNATE UNIVERSE fic. So things will not be the same as he anime or teh manga._**

**_Summary: Yugi is a young teen of fourteen years. He is an orphan and struggles through every day to survive; but he was free and that was good enough for him. Unitl one day the crops failed and the village had no money to support themselves. In an attempt to make ends meet, the villagers try to sell him as a slave. The chase leads them all to teh cliffs near Eagle's Pass, a no-mans land for eveyone. Teh reason for this was very simple, a great creature was rumored to live up there. A Shadow Gryphon._**

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A small teen, about fourteen years of age, dashed through the forest's dense undergrowth. Twigs and branches grabbed at his tattered clothes and sharp stones littered his path. Tricolor hair lay matted against his skull and beads of sweat covered his body. Frightened amethyst eyes darted around in search of an escape route.

Loud curses and threats followed in his wake, as five grown men trailed the fleeing boy. They all had the attire of villagers and each one held some type of weapon, one of them had a handful of rope.

The teen didn't slow down as he speed around rocks and trees in an attempt to lose his pursuers, yet they seemed to stay at the same distance neither gaining or loosing ground.

Now, you might be wondering why this teen was being chased through the woods by villagers. He seemed to be innocent and he didn't hold any valuables, so there was no apparent reason for the chase. The reason, to be quite honest, was so that the boy could be sold to the nearby palace since the field's crops weren't fruitful enough to support the village people. The boy was an orphan and wasn't apprenticed to anyone so he made the perfect target for slavery; the boy would be sold to a respectful owner and everyone would be happy.

Only, the teen didn't agree with it.

So here he was, running away from a fate decided for him and trying to escape the hands of people he once knew.

He followed the invisible path he had memorized in his many ventures into the forest, heading for the pass among the cliffs. The pass he was looking for was unique among the others; it was never used for anything even though it would be a great benefit to people and armies alike. Eagle's Pass was hidden in the dislayered cliffs that created a natural border for the main cities and the middle-class villages, and it held multiple paths and dead ends that also doubled as perfect hiding places.

Those hiding places were what he was looking for.

The only problem would be that Yugi hadn't gotten that far before so he could end up lost as well. _But that's alright. _He convinced himself. _At least I won't be sold as a slave. _

He tried to block out the commands and curses that sounded behind him as he jumped across a narrow ravine. For once in his life he was thanking his small figure and light weight, since it allowed him to tread on tender logs and rotting branches. Yugi smirked slightly as he heard one of said logs break under the weight of the full grown men. Unfortunately for him, nature's traps made the men angrier and they were probably going to take it out on him if they catch up to him.

Yugi looked up ahead, noticing that he was getting close to the beginning of the cliffs. His memorized path would end soon after he reached those cliffs so he had to be careful.

Another problem was that he was starting to tire. Normally, he wouldn't be running for this long but the men were fast and had more endurance that him.

_Man. How am I going to get out of this? _He asked no one unparticular. Yugi approached the first cliff with a sudden jump that sent him to the top of a small hill. He quickly scrambled onto another outcropping that wasn't very far away. This type of evading wouldn't last long, but it would have to do until he found a decent hiding spot.

The men were gaining on him in the time it took to climb one outcropping. Because of their height, they could reach the cliffs faster so Yugi was beginning to run out of options.

With a quick look ahead, he laid eyes on the beginnings of Eagle's Pass. Just a few more jumps and he would have a better chance at escaping. _Almost there..._

Suddenly a dagger shot past his face, just barley missing him. While it embedded itself in the loose ground of his target outcropping, Yugi's focus wavered and his balance was thrown off.

"Ahh!" He screeched as his foot missed its target. Yugi plummeted to the ground, his body hitting various roots and slightly slowing his fall. With a thud, his scream was cut off and he connected with the ground below.

Luckily, the cliff was only twelve feet above said ground.

_Ouch...That really hurt._ He moaned as pain lanced through his body. Bruises starting to from across his back and side, which had taken most of the hit. _That's defiantly going to leave a mark..._

Ironic laughter found its way into his ear as he slowly regained his senses.

"Well, finally you've stopped running. You had us worried when you took that drop so unrepentantly." One of them said, obviously the leader.

Yugi tried to get up, pointedly ignoring the pain that throbbed loudly in his head and spine, but was prevented from doing so by a booted foot placed in the small of his back. He let out a pained whimper as pressure was applied and grimaced when the man laughed.

"You lead quite a chase, Yugi." The man sneered, all compassion gone. "At least now we can get you to the trader and see just how much your worth."

"Namik." One of the other villagers called. The man that was keeping Yugi on the ground, now known as Namik, looked up at the one who addressed him. "We should probably get back. That ridge over there is a part of Eagle's Pass, who knows whets lurking in all those outcroppings." The man seemed nervous, seeing as how he was trembling and all. The other villagers seemed to agree with him so by unanimous decision; they tied Yugi up and made their way back down the choppy hill.

There was one problem though...

"Where the hell are we?!"

In there rush to catch Yugi, they forgot to mark their path and were now undeniably lost. The villagers looked around, bewildered, at the change in scenery and tried to agree on which way they should go. At least, that was until someone got the bright idea to go up so that they could see above the trees, they figured that there was a spot around here that would overlook the entire cliff.

Namik slung Yugi, who currently had his hands bound behind his back and his ankles tied together, over his shoulder and began the climb up. Yugi was sure that they were suicidal and he told them so. Climbing up to the top of the cliffs by Eagle's Pass was just a stupid thing to do. There could be multitudes of wild carnivores up there; bears, wolves, raccoons, you name it. But even those animals couldn't compare to the one creature that was rumored to nest up there, and it was by far the most feared one of them all.

Unfortunately for Yugi, Namik just hit him over the head, told him to shut up and threatened to gag him. Now on top of his certain death he had a headache.

"Look!" One of the younger villagers, an eighteen year old by the name of Kuikle, called. "There's a clearing just up ahead!"

"You hear that, Yugi?" Namik whispered to him. "A little bit more and then we can go home. Well, we can go back home, but you're going to the traders." Yugi whimpered, he didn't want to be sold, he liked his life the way it was. Well, apart form starvation and getting beat up, but that could change. If he got sold, then he could be considered to be even lower than he already was.

_I w-wont cry._ _I-I wont._ A single tear fell from his amethyst eyes as they neared the clearing.

They reached the clearing without meeting any of the before mentioned carnivores. Namik tossed Yugi onto he ground over by some boulders, ignoring his gasp of pain. The villagers went over to where they could see the surrounding area and discussed how they should proceed.

Yugi gave up trying to loosen his bonds; they were so tight that they were starting to cut into his skin even if he didn't move. He did change his position so that he wouldn't cramp very quickly, but that just made the throbbing inn his spine more noticeable. Hissing is pain; he stopped moving all together and simply let his mind wander.

His eyes were still red from trying not to cry and even through his efforts a stray tear fell every now and then. It wouldn't help anything if he started crying, it would probably only make things worse. He already looked as if he was ten, he didn't need his actions proving it.

Yugi tried to distract himself from the situation, since he couldn't change it. He thought back to the stories his parents used to tell him before they died. Stories of warriors and heroes and challenging riddles, not to forget the villain who would always give way to the hero and the battles they would go through. The majority of the kids in his old village loved to hear the stories of knights, medians and dragons, but Yugi was different. He thought that those stories were too predictable. The knight would always win and the dragon would die, while the maiden would pronounce everlasting love to her savior.

No, Yugi didn't like those stories. He liked the ones about Gryphons.

Gryphons, the half lion half eagle. They were so majestic beautiful, with their sharp talons and precise beaks, powerful wings and long tails. They were fierce in what they protect and they are cunning creatures. To a lot of people they represented pride and nobility and to others they represented power and savagery.

But to Yugi, they represented freedom.

They were unpredictable and they didn't allow anyone to boss them around. In the stories they could be the hero or the villain or even both, helping one minute and harming the next. They couldn't be tamed and they were extremely intelligent. Gryphons were solitary creatures so you rarely saw more than three at one time and they were very territorial. They came in all shapes, sizes, and colors thought some are rarer than others.

Yugi always wished that he could see a gryphon, even if it was just once, that was why he couldn't be sold. If he was sold then he could never search for that one gryphon, he could never be free.

His amethyst eyes roamed over the ground, not really searching for anything but taking note of what he saw anyway. This would probably be his last time to be this close to the Pass and his favorite cliffs. A lifetime of being chained behind walls awaited him and there was nothing he could do to stop it.

The sudden fluttering of something caught in the corner of his vision. He turned his hear in the direction that he saw it and gasped at what his eyes met.

A lone feather settled on the ground not too far from where he was sitting. It was really big, bigger than any bird he had ever seen before. It was about the size of his forearm and half of his bicep put together, a small fuzzy tuft was at the base of it and the entire feather was smooth with precise edges.

_What kind of bird would be big enough to leave behind a feather that huge?_ Yugi asked himself. He was so preoccupied that he didn't notice the rather large shadow that passed over the sun.

An earth shattering shriek pierced the air, causing Yugi to jump and a frightened squeak to pass his lips. The village men did the same thing, except that they yelled. They were huddling together and Kuikle was shakingly pointing at something in Yugi's direction. Wing beats drowned out all other noise as the men got into defensive positions, weapons drawn and ready. Barley concealed fear was in their eyes and they stood as still as a stone.

Yugi found himself trembling as the wing beats suddenly stopped, leaving the cliff in total silence. A dark shadow loomed above him, hinting that something large was just above him on top of the boulder. The sound of sharp claws scraping against rock sent his heart racing in his chest. He slowly turned his gaze upward, praying that he wouldn't die today by some vicious animal.

A sharp edged beak, pure black in color, attached to the large head of an eagle and a fairly long neck were what his eyes registered first. The head was different than an eagle, with ear-like tuffs on each side of its head and not to mention that the sheer size of it was about the same as a horse.

Yugi watched, spellbound, as the giant creature made it sway off of the boulder. Sharp talons made up the front two paws as the feathered chest melted into the smoothest velvet fur, hind quarters following with cat-like paws equipped with dagger like claws. A long, flowing tail with a feathery tuff at the end swayed form side to side in a predatory like manor. Giant wings spread in a threatening display as the creature advanced on the group of village men, sparing a single glance with the most gorgeous crimson eyes at Yugi.

Yugi saw the strange coloring with intricate detail. Ebony velvet feathers, tipped lightly with gold and crimson gave the creature a more regal look. Black fur and a golden tufted tail made up its rear hide.

It was a Gryphon.

The gryphon stood there, hissing in warning to the humans that dared to trespass on his territory. He personally didn't like the taste of man flesh but if they didn't leave soon they were going to become his next meal.

One of the bolder men, by the name of Tutkle, stepped forward with his hands raised in a placating gesture. He was calmly saying that they were lost and didn't mean to trespass. The villagers followed his lead and they edged across the cliff, staying as far away from the gryphon as possible.

They had almost made it to the path when Namik suddenly remembered the reason for being here in the first place. The soon-to-be slave boy was in the exact same spot as where he dropped him earlier. The teen was staring at the gryphon with a naked look of wonder and awe. Namik would've sneered, but the predicament was more serious than first thought. Yugi wasn't very far from the black gryphon, so retrieving him would be risky.

He alerted his fellow villagers to the situation and soon enough, Tutkle stepped forward.

The gryphon screeched at the approach, wings flaring and talons brandished. Tutkle slowed his pace greatly but didn't stop, that would be a sign of weakness and the gryphon would react to that.

"We just want the boy." He spoke to the gyphon while gesturing to said boy. "Then we can leave. We're not going to harm you."

Yugi's face scrunched up in indignation at being called a boy. He was fourteen years old, only a year from be of legal age! But the implications of what Tutkle said sunk in. He was still going to be sold and it seemed that nothing was going to change that.

_Well…at least I got to see a gryphon before I go…_

The gryphon looked at the youngest human there; he was rather small with the strangest design in hair that looked nearly identical to his human form and the most unusual color of eyes. The boy looked tired and injured, if the smell of blood was any hint, not to mention that he was tied up. He looked so frightened and depressed at what the other human said.

The gryphon had seen this boy before, quite a few times actually. The boy would always be wandering through the forest near the edge of the cliffs, but since he never caused any disturbance he was spared form being chased out like everyone else.

Tutkle had made it to Yugi while the gryphon was thinking and was trying to get a hold of said boy. Yugi fought back, even while the ropes bit into his already tender skin and made him bleed, landing a few good kicks and head buts.

Normally, Tutkle was a patient man, but he was tired of being in this forest when he could be at home sleeping. He roughly grabbed Yugi by the collar of his shirt and whacked him over the head; a pained yelp escaped his lips before Tutkle dragged him toward the other villagers.

A low pitched growl was the only warning anyone got. A large black blur streaked by and collided with Tutkle, sending him sprawling forward. Yugi was suddenly dropped and he hit the ground with a quiet thud. He spent a few minutes to catch his breath and when he did he was surprised at what was occurring in front of him.

The men who were standing just a few seconds ago were now piled on the ground, groaning and clutching whatever body part that had been hit. Only one of them was still standing, but that wouldn't last very long considering just how badly he was shaking.

And the black gryphon was standing protectively in front of him, hackles raised and wings spread wide.

A whimper escaped his throat when he moved his wrist; he must have twisted it when he fell. The gryphon's ears twitched in his direction, and his large head swiveled around to face him. Yugi found himself falling into the crimson pools of the creature's gaze. His breath caught in his throat as the gryphon turned its body to face him and approach his paralyzed form.

The gryphon's beak was mere inches away from his face as the creature sniffed him, before deciding something. It gently nibbled on his hair(1), careful to not accidentally pull any, before moving closer to him. The gryphon pulled back to sit on its haunches and gently grabbed Yugi with its large forefeet, careful not to pierce him with its talons.

Yugi let out a startled squeak as he was picked up, the scales and feathers of the forearm rested lightly against his skin. Shadows seemed to come alive and drift across his body and the gryphon's. He looked up; catching the gryphon's gaze, and could have sworn that he saw it wink.

A gasp drew his attention to the villagers that lay on the cliff. Disbelief was evident on their faces.

The grip the gryphon had on his torso tightened slightly and Yugi could feel the gryphon tense behind him. Its giant wings spread out on either side in order to keep balanced; the gryphon suddenly dove off the side of the cliff with no warning whatsoever.

A scream was torn from his mouth as they plummeted through the air. Yugi's stomach and heart were left somewhere behind them. A strange clicking that sounded suspiciously like laughter flew past him for the gryphon's beak, and the talons tightened around him reassuringly.

With the snap of opening wings they were airborne, soaring smoothly on an updraft and steady wing beats surrounded him. Yugi could feel himself getting dizzy and lightheaded, he knew that he wouldn't be able to stay conscious for much long.

Even though he was hundreds of feet above the ground and in the claws a fierce predator that could just be taking him off somewhere to be devoured, he felt safe. The claws had pulled him up against the warm chest of the gryphon, shielding him from the cold winds of the upper atmosphere. He snuggled as well as he could, since he was still tied, against the smooth feathers. The living shadows from earlier continued to drift over his skin, creating a safe barrier.

His eyes closed as he drifted into slumber, accompanied by the soft sound of wing beats. A single word passed his lips before he was gone. A name for his rescuer.

"Yami."

The gryphon looked down at the sleeping human that was huddled against his chest. He seemed so peaceful and content when he was asleep, so much younger than he actually was. Perhaps he would keep this human. Yes, that's what he would do. The gryphon purred slightly, watching as the human snuggled further into him with a small smile on his lips.

/_My Aibou./_

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**To be continued?**

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**_(1): I think that is a sign of affection for a bird. I cant seen to find any place on teh internet that lists bird's behaviors and such so I'm going off of what I've read before._**

**_I hope you enjoyed my first story. I dont know if I'll continue it, but if I do I have a few questions. Would you want it to be yaoi or not. I havent really written yaoi before so it might be a challange for me._**

**_Something else. If I do continue this story then I will need a beta reader. I want someone who isnt afraid to critizise and make suggestions._**

**_PLEASE REVIEW!! _**


	2. Chapter 2

_**Wow...I got 12 reviews for the first chapter?! That's unexpected, I didnt think it was that good. Well, I hope that I get that many for this chapter.**_

_**Just a quick note before you read this chapter. The updates wont be in any set pattern and they might have long time periods inbetween them.**_

_**I have an important note at teh botom. If you want this fic to continue then read it!!!**_

_**Oh, and thanks to my beta, Tie-dyed Trickster, for helping me with this chapter!!!**_

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Chapter 2 

A persistent tickle, right under his nose, intruded upon his sound sleep. He was too comfortable to get up, and he wasn't going to let one minor thing disturb him. Un-uh. No way. Not in a million ye-

…Too late.

"Achooo!"

Yugi sneezed, face scrunching up in reflex and his body twitched. It got that thing away from his nose, but it also served to wake him up.

'_Darn it._' He whined, wanting to go back to sleep but failing to do so. He never had been the kind to sleep in all day.

He opened his amethyst colored eyes to stare at his surroundings in confusion. The room was dimly lit and roughly circular in shape with walls made of wood. There were a few pieces of furniture that rested out of the way, these being a dresser, a cabinet, a life-sized mirror, and a basin filled with clear water. They were all simple in design, with a few patterns carved into the framework.

The most extravagant piece of furniture was the bed he was laying on. The mattress had to have been made with the softest downy feathers and it had about three layers of quilts, each one was a different thickness and had a feather design stitched into it with black and gold thread.

'_No wonder I didn't want to get up.'_ Yugi thought as he sat up, letting the soft covers pool around his waist. He noticed that he was still wearing the same clothes as yesterday, which he was thankful for, since it gave him a sense of reality. The white gauze that was wrapped around various places on his body told him that someone had treated his wounds.

'_Who did this?_' Yugi asked no one in particular. '_The last thing I remember is being caught by Namik…so, how did I get here? Please say that I didn't get sold already!'_ He frantically looked around, searching for any sign of chains, rope, or barred exits. Upon seeing none, he returned to his previous thoughts.

'_So, if I didn't get sold…then what happened?'_

Determined to figure out the answer, he ventured off the soft bed. Small, bare feet settled on a small plush rug. A pleasant feeling coursed through his feet, which were used to rough surfaces. That feeling didn't last very long as his left ankle smarted when he put pressure on it. A small gasp of pain escaped his mouth as he quickly lifted it off the ground.

'_Perhaps I should take it easy on that foot.'_ It didn't hurt enough to bring tears to his eyes, but it still stung.

He had made it a few meters away from the bed when his foot brushed against something fuzzy. Curiosity brewing, Yugi picked up the object he had stepped on and couldn't help the confusion that followed.

It was a black feather.

_'Why would a feather be in here? It doesn't __seem to be the size__ of an owl or __falcon's__ feather, it's much __too__ large, and an eagle's is shaped differently…wait a minute...'_

The feather was a deep ebony, with red tints here and there and a gold outlining. Its texture was soft and smooth, but with it was also sturdy.

Flashes of a giant creature covered in such feathers bombarded his mind. Huge black wings set in a threatening yet protective stance attached to the muscular body; a long, smooth tail and a powerful beak.

"The gryphon."

He remembered now, what had happened after he had been tied. A gryphon had shown up out of nowhere and had protected him! And a black gryphon at that!

Dark colored gryphons were notorious for their short tempers and extensive violence, not to mention that a majority of them hated humans.

'_And they're a lot rarer than any other color.'_

As he pondered why the gryphon feather was here, he wandered around the confines of the room. He subconsciously noted that the temperature was rather low, not enough to drive him back to the bed, but enough for him to obtain goose-bumps.

'_I wonder if there's a way out.' _He wondered silently as he searched for a door or a ladder. During his search he had set the feather down on the dresser so that he wouldn't lose it.

After a few minutes of searching, which felt like hours, he found a spot where there was a fresh stream of cool air rolling across the floor, and after investigating it he found that it came from a certain place on the wall by the dresser.

Now he felt incredibly silly for not noticing the doublewide door, painted in a feathery design like the quilts, earlier. It was so big that it could've allowed two horses to pass through with plenty of space, and there was a smaller door, just the size for a human, set at the bottom right corner of said giant door. A doorknob had been replaced with a slot that a person could put their hand in and worked the same way as a doorknob, but was less noticeable. _(Shamise comment: Kinda like the handles on most screen doors, only this one turns clockwise instead of side-to-side. It's like hiding the doorknob inside the door so people don't run into it.)_

He approached the door quickly and slid his hand in the door-slot, giving is a twist to the right he heard an audible click. The door opened noiselessly, the hinges must have been oiled recently, and he peered into the dark tunnel that lay before him. A blast of cold air rushed past Yugi, making him want nothing more than to crawl back up into those warm covers.

'_I wonder what's down there?'_ The tunnel did seem to travel downward before veering off to the left. Yugi knew that he should probably wait for whoever lived here to show up, but if that someone thought that he was a slave then he wanted to escape.

He stepped forward and through the threshold, curiosity overwhelming his other protests. What was it they said? 'Curiosity killed the cat?'

_'It's a good thing I'm not a cat then.'_

It took all of his courage to keep going further into the tunnel. His bare feet padded quietly on the stone ground as the door to the room disappeared behind a bend. Yugi kept his hand on the left wall, not wanting to veer off even slightly, so that he could retrace his steps if he decided to go back.

_'It sure is cold,' _Yugi half complained_. 'And this tunnel doesn't seem to actually _go_ anywhere.'_ Any sense of direction he had earlier had been lost at the tenth turn and his feet were staring to hurt. On top of that the tunnel was beginning to incline and it was making his legs cramp.

And to make matters worse, Yugi's mind was toying with him. He would hear sounds that weren't there and he kept feeling something brush against his legs.

_'A-are those shadows moving?!' _His skin prickled as his eyes darted form corner to corner, feet walking a little bit faster. He could swear that someone was staring at him; as a matter of fact, he could almost see two red eyes that seemed to keep getting closer with every passing second.

Yugi knew that he wasn't just being paranoid now. He spared another glance over his shoulder and instantly regretted it as he collided with a wall shrouded in shadows. He went careening down to the floor and in an attempt to prevent his fall he tried to backpedal. That didn't work so well since the moment he put all his weight on his left foot hot needles drove into it, effectively sending him the rest of the way to the ground.

Tears sprung from his eyes at the sudden pain and he couldn't help but whimper. His shoulder leaned against the wall and his hands gripped this ankle in a feeble attempt to lessen the pain.

Quiet clicks and hisses found their way into Yugi's ears, alerting him to the reason for his fall. He closed his eyes tightly, saying that it was just his imagination that they sounded concerned, it wasn't worried about him, it wanted to eat him.

Right?

Heat radiated off the creature before him and the smell of some kind of spice bombarded his nose. The sharp click of claws on stone told him that the creature was approaching, and he curled into a tighter ball in hopes that it would leave him alone.

A few more clicks came, this time in an almost questioning tone, and something sharp settled around his ear. He shivered in fear as the thing nibbled softly, not breaking the skin, but still as terrifying to him as if it did.

Yugi didn't move, frozen in place as the sharp thing moved from his ear to his hair, nibbling in a type of caress that he dimly recognized. The creature cooed quietly in an attempt to calm him down, though it only confused him more.

A strange sensation brushed across his mind, a feeling of 'not alone'. It formed into emotions that swirled around Yugi in an intimate caress, wrapping him in a strange sense of protectiveness, worry, and a single word.

_/Aibou?/_

The word rang sharp and clear in Yugi's head, a soft baritone that held half a purr. A gasp shuddered through his lips and his eyes flew open. He jerked his head back simultaneously, subconsciously glad that the creature wasn't gripping his hair at the time, since that would've hurt.

A rather large, sharp, black beak was hovering just a few inches from the tip of his nose. Yugi's eyes crossed in an instinctual attempt to focus and he did the first thing that made sense.

He screamed.

Long and loud.

Yugi mentally swore that he had just broken the sound barrier. The creature before him gave a startled screech and stumbled back a few inches. The thing in his head radiated confusion and, since Yugi could feel this emotion as clearly as his own, it sent him further into his panic.

The creature overcame its shock quickly and reproached Yugi. He felt the presence in his mind tilt, and his scream was silenced as effectively as if someone had covered his mouth with his or her hand.

A sudden compulsion to reopen his closed eyes forced Yugi to gaze once again at he creature before him. The giant head was lowered to Yugi's eye level and, without meaning to, he looked straight into the creature's eyes.

He fell into pools of crimson, a mixture of the sunset and the fire on a cold winter's night. Something enfolded him, wrapped and cradled him in an emotion that drove away all his panic and fears of death. Darkness surrounded him, but it was the kind of darkness that one took refuge in on the hot summer day.

Soft caring words, spoken in that baritone voice, flowed gently and possessively through his mind.

/_Yugi. _My_ Aibou. I've found you, my Hikari./_

Yugi's panic induced haze had lifted and he could finally tell what the creature was. Shiny, black feathers blended almost perfectly in the shadows of the tunnel, outlined in gold and streaked with crimson. The muscular body was perfectly relaxed as it stood before him, crimson eyes sharp and intelligent.

It was the gryphon.

"Yami."

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**To be continued?**

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**_Special note, Plz read._**

**_I have no plot for this story!! I hadnt planned to continue, but since i did then i need plot suggestions!!!_**

**_As for having yaoi or not, here are the stats:_**

**_Yaoi: 4_**

**_Non-yaoi: 1_**

**_Neutral: 5_**

**_I think the story will remain neutral for now, so that i can take it either way when i decide. Now that I think about it it would be kinda wierd if Yugi suddenly got a crush on an animal, no matter how intelligent. But I do have a sollution to that problem, a little plot twist for an oncoming chapter if I get that far; so right now it will just be a more affectionate version of the eragon bond._**

**_Well, that's all I got to say for now. So plz review, they inspire me._**

**_P.S- I dont really respond to reviews unless they are questions. I'm horrible at conversations and socilizing, but just to let u know I do read all the reviews._**


	3. Chapter 3

_**Sry about the late update!! I didnt mean to wait so long. **_

_**This chapter is unbetaed, just a warning. I couldnt get a hold of my beta, oh well.**_

_** I have more notes at teh end concerning this story, dont forget to read those too.**_

_**

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Shadow Gryphon**_

_**Chapter 3**_

_**by: Shamise**_

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Yugi sat there, hunkered against the stone wall with an unbelieving stare. His breathing came in short, spaces out sounds and his hand s were visibly shaking. Amethyst eyes were currently locked with large bird like crimson eyes and neither was planning on looking away.

The flood of emotions and senses that were not his own, smoothly tampered off into a more gentle flow, soothing against Yugi's frazzled nerves. He became more aware of his surroundings; the dampness of the air, the chill of a draft against his bare skin, and the cramp that was setting into his legs.

In an attempt to soothe the ache in his legs, he slowly shifted his right appendage to the side and his left leg followed suite. Yugi didn't think that the gryphon, Yami, was going to harm him, but he didn't want to find out the hard way by lose of body parts. Everything was fine until he moved his left ankle.

The sting of pain caused him to react without thinking. His eyes closed automatically, leaking a few stray tears, and his hands went straight to the tender joint.

Yami's reaction was instant; he hovered over Yugi's bent form and made distressed clicking and hissing noises. The giant, feathered head was so close to Yugi that he could feel the feathers brush against his exposed skin.

Yugi temporarily forgot the pain in his ankle when he was practically drowned in the concern that flooded over the newly formed link. It overwhelmed his senses so much that he unconsciously let out a strangled whimper. It's not that it hurt, on the contrary it felt rather good, but he was so unused to the feeling that he unconsciously shed away from it.

Immediately, the flood turned into a small stream, still there, but not as consuming. And again, that baritone voice spoke.

_/It's all right, little one. I will not harm you/_

The flood came back, but it was much more slow this time. It gently surrounded Yugi, cradling him with soft wings and whispering soothing words into his ears. Unconsciously, Yugi began to relax, mentally and physically. He gave a contented hum, leaning against the gryphon's feathered chest with half lidded eyes.

_/There we go./_ The flood slowly tampered off, leaving Yugi to whine in disappointment. _/You're all better now./_

Just as slowly, Yugi was drawn out of the pleasant haze he had descended in. With a startled squeak he jerked back from his position against the gryphon's chest; in no time at all he lost his balance and tumbled onto his rear with a slightly pained thud.

"Ouch…" Yugi mumbled, rubbing the sore spot and pouting when he heard the gryphon laugh. "It's not that funny."

_/Forgive me, but it is very funny./_

Yugi, the mature fourteen year old he was, stuck his tongue out at the gryphon. Yami just continued to laugh, his black beak open in a type of bird grin. Yugi crossed his arms and bent his legs underneath him. He felt a small twinge in his left ankle and he remembered his earlier predicament. He cringed, waiting for the needle-like pain to follow.

But it never came.

Yugi opened his eyes, staring at the ankle that was supposed to be causing him pain in confusion. He moved it around a few times experimentally, surprised when the only thing he felt was a slight twinge.

_/It does not hurt does it?/ _Yami's voice suddenly resounded in his head. _/I admit that I haven't done any type of healing magic in a while…/_

"Healing magic?" Yugi asked. '_So that's why my ankle doesn't hurt.' _His eyes lifted up to meet those of the gryphon.

/Yes, most gryphons have some kind of magic. We don't really put on a big show while using it though. Well…most of us don't./

"Oh."

_/So, does it hurt anymore?/_

Yami's inquiry brought his attention back to creature, who seemed closer than before. Yami's whole posture was relaxed, the large black wings were pulled up against his back and the cat-like tail swayed from side to side.

"No, it just feels funny." Yugi found himself watching the tail's movements as it moved back and forth. The actions were repetitive and continuous; he couldn't help but want to touch the silky black fur.

_/You seem to enjoy looking at my tail./_ Yami's voice suddenly intruded upon him.

Yugi froze where he crouched, it seemed that he had moved closer to the moving appendage and his hand was reaching out for it. Of course, his wanderings had brought him closer to the bulk of the gryphon; if he stretched out his arm he would be touching the black creature.

With a surprised squeak, Yugi darted back to his earlier spot a few feet away from Yami. His arms crossed back over his chest and another adorable pout settled over his features.

"You're laughing at me again."

_/No, not at all/_ Yami's voice sounded ironically innocent while quiet laughter echoed in his head.

"I'm not talking to you." Yugi stated childishly. He pointedly faced the other direction, turning his back to the Gryphon as if to verify his statement.

/_Aww, Aibou. Don't be mean./ _

Yugi remained stubborn with his decision, even going so far to turn his head around and stick his tongue back out at Yami before facing forward again.

Yami's laughter still rang out as something suddenly nudged him from behind, almost sending him to the floor with the force behind it. Yugi stumbled, arms flying out to keep balance. He could feel a stream of warm air blow through his hair before a giant feathered head extended over his shoulder and nudged him against a similarly feathered chest.

Yugi froze in shock as he was pulled against Yami's chest, contact with the creature was still new to him and old habits die hard. His first reaction was to try to get away, yet Yami's head kept him planted where he was. After a few minutes of silent struggling Yugi collapsed against the gryphon, trying to keep control over his breathing.

/_Why do you struggle so?/ _Yami's smooth baritone was truly curious; he turned one crimson eye to Yugi, hoping to catch the human's gaze_. /I have not harmed you have_ _I?/ _He was answered with a negative. _/Then why do you fear me so?/_

That question imposed upon Yugi greatly. It was true that Yami hadn't hurt him; the gryphon had even saved him from becoming a slave. So…why was he so afraid? Was it because of what could happen? That this creature was just going to toy with him then harm him when it got bored? Or was it because he didn't want to be rejected in the end?

"I-I-I…d-don't…" _I don't know._

Yugi was horribly confused, he didn't know what to think or do. His body started to shake again and a few tears rolled down his cheeks. He didn't know why he was crying; it was just a natural reaction to him.

Yami watched sadly as his little human broke down and cried. The smaller's thoughts were very chaotic and they tumbled into each other almost violently. The black gryphon slowly lowered his body to the ground, keeping Yugi in between his forelegs and allowing the human to slip to the floor with him. His wings wrapped protectively around Yugi, giving him a sense of comfort as Yami gently ran his beak through the teen's hair in a reassuring gesture.

_/It's alright, little one, you are safe with me./_

Those words were apparently all Yugi needed as he turned and buried his face into the gryphon's chest. He fisted his hands in the gryphon's feathers, not tightly enough to pull any out, and he cried as his pent up emotions ran loose.

_/Shh, it's okay Aibou. You're safe./ _

Slowly, Yugi's cries faded and only hiccupped sobs could be heard. He leaned fully against the feathered chest and relaxed completely of his own will. His nostrils flared, taking in the scent of the gryphon. The scent of musk, spice, and desert winds circled around him, creating a simple yet exotic smell.

Yami curled around his little one, glad that Yugi had calmed down on his own. He knew that there were a few things that had been forced upon the young one's soul, and it would take all of his effort to help fix the damage others had caused. But for now, he was content to have his Aibou resting against him by his own choice.

A gentle purr emitted through Yami's throat, causing his chest to vibrate pleasantly. Yugi sighed in contentment as a gentle flood of emotions flowed around him, soothing his tattered soul and softening the broken edges.

Yes, he was safe. And he new, somehow, that he would never be alone again.

* * *

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****

**_Hey, I just realized. I could end this story at this chapter and not have to worry about cliffhangers. Sweet! So unless you give me some plot suggestions..._**

**_Well, I hope u liked it. I have a few extra notes so plz read._**

**_First, I apologize for having Yugi go from one emotion to another really quick. Give him a break he's been through a frough few days._**

_**Second, I've heard that musk is a scent that bird's have. Correct me if I'm wrong.**_

_**Third, plz give me some plot suggestions!!!!! I need them desperatly!!**_

_**Okay, this note has compleltly nothing to do with this story but I still need ur opinion. Think of it as a pole.(sp?)****Would you reather see Yugi as a human or a half-vampire?**_

REVIEW!!!!!


	4. Chapter 4

Woo! This story's not dead!! After so many months of no update, it has finally started rolling again. Just a notice, updates will be coming slow. I've got club v-ball and showchoir, and the tournaments and competitions are on the weekends (which is when I work on my stories). Not to mention that I have been overloaded with plotbunnies who just stay for a chapter or two them leave. sigh Oh well.

Anyway, nothing really plot turning happens in this chapter, just a bunch of fluff. (Love the fluff!)

And give a big thanx to my new co-author, Yizuki! I wouldnt have gotten this posted if it weren't for u! I'm sorry, tiedDyedTrickster! I havent been able to get a hold of you. I dont know if something went wrong (if it is I hope it gets better), or if you have limited internet (tear); but I still hope to here from u soon!

_'Thoughts'_

"Speech normal"

/_Yami speaks/_

**Chapter 4: I'm hungry**

* * *

Yugi was slowly drawn to the waking world. He was comfortably warm and the bed he was laying on was extremely soft. Sleepily he snuggled into the softness, sighing happily as a gentle purr reverberated in his ears.

Wait…purr?

Amethyst eyes shot open, going cross-eyed in an attempt to focus. Sleek, black feathers rose with his bed's breathing and the purr continued to vibrate through his small body. For a moment, Yugi laid there, starring blankly at the sight before him. He knew that beds don't purr, let alone breathe. His body was propped up against something that had black feathers, natural body heat, and purred.

'_Yami?'_

Yugi's eyes widened considerably and he shot up, instantly taking in his surroundings. The black gryphon was a lean sprawl on the ground next to him, a wing covering Yugi slightly to keep him warm and the feathered head was turned towards him, and eyes were closed in sleep. Yugi had been snuggled into the broad shoulder, close to where the smooth feathers turned into silken fur. He was ready to pull away from the gryphon, muscles tensing in accord. The majority of his mind calculated how much time he had to get away before Yami woke up, yet a small part of him was reluctant to leave. Yugi battled with himself for a moment, each side pulling up a good argument, when his decision was made for him. Something long and muscular wrapped possessively around his waist. It squeezed lightly for a minute and pulled him back against Yami's feathered side.

It was Yami's tail.

The smooth fur felt like soft velvet against his skin and the small tuft of feathers rested near his rib cage. He stared at it for a moment, before trying to unwind the unusually strong appendage.

Yugi soon grew frustrated, the lean tail refused to budge no matter what he did. He pulled, tugged, wiggled, pinched, and tried to unwind it. A small glare, which looked more like a pout, adorned his face as he huffed at his predicament. An amused crimson eye watched the occupied human. He had been watching Yugi since the teen had woken up, wanting to see what the human would do. It took everything he had to not cuddle the living daylights out of the human when he saw adorable pout.

Yugi slumped against Yami's side, deciding that the tail wasn't going to be removed. '_But there has to be some way to loosen it.'_ A pale hand unconsciously wrapped around the furry tail, smoothing the short fur as he thought. A soft chuckle reverberated through his skull, the sound being oddly welcoming. He jumped at the sudden movement and he noticed how the tail tightened momentarily.

_/Having fun, Aibou?/_

Yugi knew that he was pouting now; he could feel the pull on his mouth easily. He crossed his arms, huffed indignantly and tried to glare at a point on the wall.

'_Yes, I'm having _loads_ of fun.'_ Yugi thought sarcastically, unaware that Yami could hear every word he thought. The gryphon continued to chuckle as he lifted his head from the ground to nip at Yugi's hair playfully. He remained joyful when Yugi didn't jerk away. Yugi pointedly ignored the gryphon's actions and started tugging on the tail that still held him prisoner. Of course, the tail only tightened around his waist in response.

_/Why are you so set on getting away?/ _Yami asked, his mental voice curious as well as amused.

"Why are you so set on keeping me here?" Yugi not quite snapped.

_/I didn't want you to run off. These tunnels lead everywhere and you could easily get lost./_ Yami stated, sounding like he only had Yugi's best interests at heart. _/…and I wanted to see your reaction./_ Yugi snorted, he knew there had to be an alterative motive. Though he would never admit it out loud, he probably would have run off.

"I'm not going to run off now." Yugi mumbled. After all, where would he go? The townspeople would have no more room for him and he had no relatives. "And you've seen my reaction, so would you mind letting go?" He tugged meaningfully on the tail.

_/Do I have to?/_ Yami whined mischievously. _/I'm rather comfortable and you're so warm./_ He nuzzled Yugi, laughing at the tiny squeak of embarrassment the human emitted. Yugi pushed half-heartedly against the feathered head. Yami's tail squeezed lightly before releasing him; a tingle ran through Yugi's spine as the soft fur and feathers brushed lightly against his skin.

He wasted no time in moving from his current position, ignoring the part of his mind that sighed in disappointment. Yami let a quiet keening sound come from his throat as he missed the human's warmth. After a few minutes spent sitting in awkward silence, Yugi began to squirm uncomfortably under the gryphon's unwavering gaze. He twiddled his thumbs in his lap and he tried not to make eye contact. His mind began to wander in an attempt to distract himself from the gryphon next to him.

'_I wonder where we are. I guess we're somewhere in the cliffs, but we could be anywhere really.'_ He had been asleep when the gryphon had kidnapped/ rescued him and he had no ideas as to how long he'd been out. '_I wonder how long it's been since I ate…'_

_**Growl**_

Yugi's face flushed a bright red, and he wrapped his arms around his protesting stomach. He glanced at Yami, who was laughing again, and glared at his stomach for betraying him.

_/Are you hungry?/_ Yami's voice was stilled laced with amusement as Yugi mumbled another smart-alecky remark. Contrary to what Yugi mumbled, the human's stomach had no difficulties with proclaiming its answer. _/I wouldn't be surprised. You haven't eaten for two days, to my knowledge./_

Two days?! No wonder he was hungry enough to eat rocks. Yugi hadn't eaten anything the day he was chased by Namik and his men so that made a total of three days. Yami lifted himself from the floor stretching like a contented cat. He shook out his feathers and his tail swayed slightly from side to side. Yugi watched warily as the gryphon walked towards one end of the tunnel. For a moment, Yugi was afraid that the gryphon was going to leave him alone in these tunnels, but his fears were dashed when he felt reassurance come over the link.

_/Are you coming, Aibou?/_ He jumped up and hurried over to where Yami stood, momentarily forgetting about his previous disposition to stay away from the gryphon. They walked in silence towards a place only Yami knew, and Yugi's imagination played on his nerves as the tunnel grew darker. He subconsciously drifted closer to the gryphon's warm body as his eyes darted from shadow to shadow.

Yugi's sense of direction was completely scrambled after the first few twists and turns, and the only thing he could be sure about was that they were heading up an incline. His calves were killing him, and the only thing keeping him going was sheer determination to not be left behind. He had twisted his head around to peer warily behind him again when he suddenly collided with the now stationary Yami. Yugi looked up, his surprised amethyst eyes instantly locking with curious crimson. Something drifted over the link, giving him the impression of a physical inspection, and squirmed in embarrassment at being found out.

Yami receded from Yugi's mind with a slightly amused snort. '_Stubborn human.'_ He thought affectionately. The fear of being left behind was understandable. He had seen it happen before with other bonded pairs, but it seemed that his human had a fear of being left behind _before_ he met Yami. It would take twice as much effort to reassure the small teen, and Yami had no qualms of putting forth the effort.

_/Come here, little one./_ Yugi approached hesitantly, not knowing what the gryphon had in mind. He watched as Yami gracefully kneeled to the ground, wings spread away from his back, and looked back at Yugi expectantly. Yugi's eyes narrowed in confusion. What on earth was the gryphon doing? Yami couldn't help but chuckle at Yugi's expression. The teen's brows were furrowed in confused concentration and his head was tilted slightly to the left, like he could figure things out if he looked at it from a different angle. Yugi walked up to him hesitantly and Yami sent another wave of reassurance over their link. Yami was absolutely delighted when his Aibou relaxed under his emotions and spoke mischievously.

_/Hop on, Aibou./ _

* * *

_**to be continued** _

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Well, there u have it. I hope u enjoyed it! REview plz!


	5. Chapter 5

I finally got it done!! I apologize for the long wait! I wont bother you with my excuses, so I'll get straight to the story telling!! Enjoy! Thanx to Yizuki for betaing!! And a special thanx to a close friend of mine for getting rid of all the grammatical error! I love you Triple E!!

**Binding Circles**

**Chapter 5**

**Author: Shamise**

* * *

If someone had told Yuugi four days ago that he would be bonded to a gryphon he would have seriously doubted that person's sanity

If someone had told Yuugi four days ago that he would be bonded to a gryphon he would have seriously doubted that person's sanity. He would have starred at them for a few seconds before mumbling an excuse and taken off running.

So when he did meet the creature of his dreams, he had been sure that he was having a hallucination…an extremely convincing hallucination. In his mind, he had thought that he dealt with the situation very well, planning to wait out this hallucination and get on with his meager life, but as the hours passed on, he found himself more inclined to believe that all this was real.

Currently, his stomach was chatting up a storm and, despite his deep embarrassment and mental curses, it wouldn't stop making the noises of a starved animal. It was extremely hard to hide the sounds his stomach made from his position astride the gryphon's back.

Speaking of his position, he had never in his wildest _dreams_ thought that he would be able to touch a gryphon, let alone ride on one's back. At first, he thought that he would fall off, feeling very awkward not walking on his own two feet, and he almost did have a meeting with the tunnels floor more than once.

/You need to relax, Aibou./ The gryphon's voice jumped into his thoughts. /You are more prone to falling off if you keep impersonating a boulder./

Yuugi's face caught fire at the teasing tone. After a few minutes of coaching from his companion, he was able to relax his death grip and fall into the smooth step of the gryphon's walk. He was very surprised at the almost immediate adjustment in his balance, and the way his body moved with the walking motion. Yuugi was positive that the gryphon had something to do with the way his body was adjusting, but he didn't say anything aloud about it.

The pair traveled in silence, a few occasional words being exchanged. Yuugi's eyes had finally been able to adjust somewhat to the darkness and he could pick out the distinct shapes of rocks and the walls. Surprisingly, there were also some foreign types of flora growing here and there, each one getting greener as they walked.

"Where are we going?" Yuugi jumped at the sound of his own voice; it was so _loud_. The gryphon's chuckle vibrated through his body and Yami picked up speed.

/You'll see./ Yuugi's brow furrowed in suspicion at the potential mischief he perceived. /We're almost there./

Yuugi fisted his hands in the gryphon's mane of feathers as the walk soon turned into a slow jog. He leaned forward unconsciously and his eyes squinted as light filtered into the previously dark tunnel. What on earth was the crazy bird doing?!

His heart raced along a few paced behind them, jumping into his throat when they made a particularly sharp turn. He clenched his knees tightly against the gryphon's neck and leaned completely against Yami's neck. He was just about to ask what on earth had gotten into the bird's head when a window of light opened before them, like a gaping maw stretching open to swallow them whole.

/Hold on tight!/

Powerful legs gathered beneath the cat-like body and Yami launched them both out of the window. Yuugi's eyes closed tightly against the brightness that assaulted his eyes. A scream tore from his throat as they plummeted off the side of a cliff. Yuugi clung to Yami's back like a leech, desperate not to fall off.

Laughter was carried back on the racing wind as Yami slowly pulled out of his dive. His wings flared, catching an updraft, and soared higher into the sky. He was careful not to jostle the little bundle on his back; the poor thing was scared out of his mind. Yami realized with a slight grimace that he would probably be missing a few feathers when they landed.

/Are you alright back there?/ Yami laughed at the jumbled messaged of curses and exhilaration that tumbled through the link. /Open your eyes, Little One./

Yuugi pressed his face further against Yami's neck, hiding his face in the lush feathers. He really didn't want to open his eyes and see the ground rushing towards them, It didn't matter that it didn't feel like they were falling anymore. He ignored the gryphon's mental prodding, just barely realizing the futility of such an action when his eyes opened of their own accord.

The first thing his eyes meet was the glistening black feathers, their sparkling gold and red edges bright in the sunlight. Sunny warmth settled on his shoulders and back, and he could feel the gryphon's powerful wing muscles ripple beneath him.

"Wow…" A surprised gasp jumped out of his throat when he lifted his eyes. The low-rising clouds of Eagle's Peak floated in a scatter fashion about them, their moist texture condensing on his skin. The landscape stretched out before him, greens and brown coloring an almost foreign pattern. The Bilonga River, only noticeable by its legendary length and width, carved a bluish-gray scar in the landscape, and small silvery threads branched off in winding curves.

/Just wait till sunset./ Yami's voice interrupted him. /The sky turns red and purple, and stars appear in the sky in multitudes. You can see a lot more of them from up here./ The giant wings flapped once before angling into a slow curve. Yuugi floundered momentarily in the change of balance and he clung to Yami's neck. Then he did the one thing everyone says not to do when being high off the ground.

He looked down.

His eyes bulged out of their sockets when he realized just how high they were above the ground. If he fell…. he had never been very afraid of heights before, but the very thought of plunging to his death drove his mind into a panic. Yuugi clutched desperately at Yami's mane as he began to slide off his back.

Yami straightened out of his spiral, easily balancing the human's weight. /Little One?/ His partner's fear was not a complete surprise. He had heard that most humans had a fear of heights and thankfully this fear would vanish as they spent more time in the air.

/Aibou, trust me./ Yami spoke, calling Yuugi by the gryphonic term for partner. /If you fall, which you probably won't, I would catch you. /Trust me./ Yuugi buried his face back into the gryphon's mane, taking comfort in the flood of reassuring emotions that came through the link. Their descent from the sky went unnoticed.

Yuugi let out a sigh of contentment, his body relaxing. Yami would never let any harm come to him.

/Aibou./ Yuugi stirred at the call, slowly opening his eyes. He was careful not to look directly at the ground. /Look, Aibou. We're here./

_Here_ turned out to be a small valley nestled on the cliffs of Eagle's Pass, near the tip of the peak. A crystal blue body of water collected in the center. A rock as tall as a house jutted over the water and fruit tree grooves dotted the area.

Yami glided low to the ground, his wings staying clear of the trees, and headed for the small lake. The gryphon smirked mischievously when his partner relaxed his grip completely.

/I hope you can swim. / Yuugi barely had time to consider the statement when Yami tilted his body and dumped Yuugi into the lake.

Yuugi screamed in surprise as he was swallowed into the water. His arms and legs flailed momentarily before a mischievous calm was sent to him from the link. His feet came in contact with the bottom of the lake, luckily he had been dumped into the shallow end, and he used the bottom to propel himself upward. He burst through the water's surface moments later, shaking his head to rid his eyes of the excess water.

"Yami!" Yuugi sputtered, glaring up at the gryphon through drooping bangs. He blinked in confusion. Where was Yami?! The now familiar black creature was missing from the sky. Fear at being left behind was rooting deeply in his psyche and his heart clenched painfully at the thought that Yami would actually abandon him.

A defiant shriek blasted through his eardrums and a large form dove into the water behind him. Yuugi's small body was pulled back under water by the force of the moving water, multitudes of bubbles blocking his sight. Adrenaline flooded his system at the thought of being attacked and he froze when something rose up from underneath him, pushing him towards and above the surface.

Yuugi coughed, expelling the small amount of water that had entered his system. His hands gripped onto a feathery mane, pale limbs trembling slightly in exhaustion. He buried his face into the wet feathers of Yami's neck.

/I apologize, Aibou./ Apologetic emotions filtered around Yuugi's mind. /I didn't know that you would react like that./ A giant crimson eye swiveled to peer at him.

"I-It's okay." Yuugi replied. "Just give me a minute…" Slowly, his heart rate returned to normal and his breathing smoothed out. Cool water swirled around his thighs and his drenched cloths stuck to his skin like wet fur on a drowned cat.

/Don't worry/ Yami assured as he caught a stray thought. /There are clothes back in the room. They might be a little long though…/ Yuugi sighed thankfully. He didn't want to be stuck in the same pair of clothes, let alone wet ones, for the rest of his life. …Wait a minute….

"Are you calling me short?!"

Yuugi fumed, ears turning bright red in frustration and embarrassment. Why on earth did everyone always say something about his height?! … It didn't help that the gryphon was laughing at his outburst.

/I never said such a thin-/

"But you _implied_ it!"

Yami merely chuckled. The human squeaked when he began to move, swimming over towards a shallower place in the lake. Yuugi glowered when Yami offered no more argument and his mind wandered to another question of his.

"Why did you dump me in the water?"

Another chuckle was his answer and a mischievous sparkle lit in the gryphon's eye.

/Because, Aibou./ the gryphon started, water rippling around his ankles. /I don't know when the last time you had a bath was but the smell tells me that it's been awhile./

"WHA-?!"

Splash

Yuugi's offended shout was effectively silenced when the gryphon once again dumped him into the water. Luckily, the water only went up to his chest when he sat down.

"YAMI!" Yuugi furiously charged after the retreating gryphon, trying vainly to not trip over his own feet. The gryphon's hysterical laughter only fueled Yuugi's anger.

/Cant catch me, Aibou!/

--

Yuugi had spent a good thirty minutes chasing the playful gryphon. The crafty bird was tireless, running through the water, jumping into the air mid-run and flying low circles around the frustrated Yuugi. He had chased the gryphon into the forest only a few minutes earlier, loosing sight of Yami in the dense trees.

Now he was hopelessly lost and he refused to ask the stubborn bird for help.

He hadn't been this far into the Pass's cliffs and he still didn't really know how to use the link…not that he wanted to right now. Little clips of emotions still flinted over, letting him know that the gryphon was nearby somewhere and that he was searching for him. He wasn't completely afraid that Yami would abandon him anymore, but he couldn't help that paranoid little part of himself that was convinced that everyone wanted to be rid of him.

"Yami…" He called softly. The dense forest had gone suddenly silent. The wildlife had mysteriously disappeared and the sun was sinking dangerously low to the horizon, releasing the shadows from their daytime slumber.

An ominous rustling in the bushed about ten feet away startled him. Furiously, he smothered the growing fear inside of him. It was only Yami trying to scare him.

"Yami!" Yuugi yelled in the bravest voice he could muster. "I know you're there! Come out!" He took a few steps towards the trembling bush. How on earth was Yami able to hide in such a small plant?

Grrrr

'_Wait a minute…"_ Yuugi froze in suspicious fear. That wasn't a sound that Yami could make. The gryphon was too intelligent to imitate a feral sound. His hesitant forward march instantly reversed its course.

The bushes rustled menacingly, a series of grunts accompanying the noise. The creature, urged on by the human's fear, burst out from its cover, pawing at the ground in challenge while its beady, black eyes starred out with madness.

Yuugi stumbled backwards at the wild animal's sudden advance, barely keeping himself from falling onto his rear. It was a male boar, and a fairly large on at that. Jagged tusks protruded from the menacing mouth, barred in aggression. Yuugi froze in his place; maybe it would pass him and deem him insufficient of its time.

It didn't.

A scream tore from his throat as the boar charged at him. His body automatically responded to the danger and produced massive amounts of adrenaline, channeling it into his legs and lungs. His small legs flew as he ran from the charging boar, changing direction in a blind hope that the boar would get bored.

He dodged to the right just in time to avoid the boar's massive hooves, not staying to watch as the feral animal labored to slow its charge and turn after him.

'_Yami!'_ He screamed in his head and a responding burst of fury and fear that was disconnected to his own shot through his mind. A picture of him high in a tree flashed before his inner eye. Boars can't climb! If he could manage to make it up a tree before the boar caught him then he'd be safe!

His blind dash immediately switched into a frantic search. Why did he have to be so short?! He had just spotted a young tree, one with its branches close enough to the ground for him to reach, when his foot caught on a root and he went crashing down.

The vicious wind that was produced by the passing of the boar and the graze of sharp hooves on this upper arm told him just how close he was to being tackled

"Ahh!" Yuugi gasped in pain, his uninjured hand coming to wrap around his bleeding wound on his shoulder. His body throbbed where it had hit the ground and his eyes searched wildly for the savage beast that was attacking him.

He saw the boar about ten feet away, its burly head lowered as it prepared for the final charge. Yuugi's heart dropped out of his body as a cold realization set in: he was going to die. He had no energy left to get back up and make a dash for the tree, nor did he have any energy to fight back. Was he saved from a lifetime of slavery only to be killed by a savage animal?

Tears rolled down his face as the boar charged, kicking up dirt clods with its hooves. Frenzied black eyes were locked onto his trembling form and sharp tusks were barred for the final blow.

Time slowed to a horrible crawl as the animal neared him. Flashes of his life and the past few days jumped into his mind. His toothpick thin arms rose in front of his face in a feeble attempt to protect himself. Fearful anticipation built in his chest, and something pushed thru the link and into his entire body.

/AIBOU!/

Wing beats filled the air and the feelings built inside of him surged into the physical realm. Living shadows burst into existence around him, circling and coiling in defense of the human. Viciously, they struck at the boar, sending the squealing animal flying back.

Time resumed with a furious screech. An enormous black form barreled through the tree canopy and landed directly in front of the stunned human. The gryphon growled challengingly towards the fallen boar, daring it to try and harm his partner again.

The boar, who was still angry and frustrated that its prey wasn't dead yet, charged at the new threat. Things moved too fast for the bewildered Yuugi to see and he stared in widened eyed horror as the fight progressed.

Within two minutes it was over. Silence reigned in the evening sky; a chilling breeze shifted through the trees. Yuugi stared dazedly at the triumphant gryphon, who was wiping his claws clean against a tall patch of grass. An unidentifiable brown lump was hidden beneath some trees and bushes.

A whimpering sound broke the silence. Yuugi shockingly realized that _he_ was the source of it. Yami immediately switched his attention to his bonded partner. The rage and animalistic fury drained away at the sight of the trembling human.

Yuugi sat there, stunned and unconsciously fearful of the display of violence Yami had just shown. He had honestly though that the mischievous creature he had gotten to know over these past few days was harmless.

He had forgotten that gryphon's were notorious for their tempers.

He vainly tried to hide a flinch when the gryphon was suddenly standing before him. A tangle of emotions were traded; his fear-anger-pain-panic-relief mingled with Yami's concern-anger-relief-emotional pain-regret, and Yuugi's conscious thoughts were lost in the process.

One particular emotion, however, did manage to surface completely on Yuugi's mind, and he launched himself at the gryphon in blind anger.

"H-how could you!' he shouted, pounding his weak fists against the gryphon's chest. 'I c-could have been killed! Why'd you leave me?! W-why!" Yami merely sat there during Yuugi's bout of anger, knowing that he _was_ at fault.

Shock and exhaustion zapped what was left of Yuugi's energy and he clutched desperately to Yami's chest feathers as he sagged to the ground. Tears and sobs chocked in his throat and half-formed sentences were mumbled through his lips.

'Why? Why weren't you there?" Yuugi whimpered. "…I was so scared-"

/Shhh…/ Yami curled around the trembling human, much like he had the night before. /You are safe now./ Calming emotions were sent to Yuugi, gently pressing against his distraught mind.

Yuugi burrowed his face in the gryphon's lush feathers, trying to hide his tears. His emotions were truly strained and all he wanted to do was curl up in some dark hole and stay there for the rest of his life.

/Oh, Aibou…I am truly sorry for allowing this to happen…/

A small part of Yuugi's mind was still angry at Yami, but his abused emotions vied for attention and much needed comfort. His eyes were sore and bloodshot, his nose was stuffy, and his entire body ached.

A soft emotion floated around him, pulling a gentle veil over his eyes. Whimpering, he snuggled closer to the warmth Yami's body emitted. He didn't want to go to sleep, even though his body did, but his mumbled protests were drowned out my Yami's persistence.

/Rest, Aibou. You've gone through enough today./

In the shadowed region of his sleep-induced mind, he felt a slight change in the shape of the body he was laying against. He stayed pressed against the feathered chest while strong arms lifted him up off the ground. Crimson eyes looked sadly and affectionately at the sleeping human he held, before quietly carrying him away.

--

Yuugi woke a few hours later, stirring sleepily as his body dimly recognized its surroundings. His hands blindly searched for the missing warmth that he had fallen asleep with. Dull eyes peeked open and he weakly propped his body up on the bed he was now laying on.

'Y-yami?" He asked quietly. Where was his partner? Did he leave again?

A calming bout of emotions washed over his hazy mind. He pulled himself out of the covers and off the bed in a sleepy trance, following the lead the emotions gave him. Stumbling to the floor, he landed on something soft and feathery, and vaguely human-shaped.

Yuugi, even though he was half-asleep, could tell that this was his partner by the strings of emotions that floated around him. A small whisper of 'Aibou' floated into his eardrums as he curled up against Yami's feathers.

A thin, yet strong, tail encircled his waist, pulling him into strong arms as he quickly fell into sleep's hold once more.

--

to be continued...

--

_AN: And for those of you who read 'Binding Circles', the next chapter will be out soon!!_


	6. Chapter 6

All right. Here ya go. Not time to add any extra notes, sry for the lateness.

The last two pages are credited to Yizuki.

--

Title: Shadow Gryphon

Chapter 6

Author: Shamise

--

Confusion met Yuugi when he woke again

Confusion met Yuugi when he woke again. He wasn't in any room he had seen before. Sunlight shone through a strategically placed hole in the ceiling. Baskets sat stacked organized along the walls, each one securely covered with a taunt piece of cloth. A flat stone 'table' jutted out from one of the walls and a set of clay plates sat on its surface.

The part of the room he was in contrasted slightly to the other side of the room, the one with the baskets. He had been resting on a couple of rather large pillows and a blanket laid tangles at his feet. He didn't remember falling asleep here…so Yami must have brought him here.

Speaking of the gryphon, where was he?

Yuugi's brow furrowed in displeasure. He knew he was still upset with the gryphon from what happened yesterday. But he couldn't help but feel lonely when he was gone.

He scoffed lightly when he recognized his own thoughts. Had he been so deprived from social contact that he could feel this attached to the gryphon he had met only a few days ago? Could he already be so dependent on the creature that had basically kidnapped him? He felt so pathetic.

/Aibou?/ Yuugi failed to jump in surprise at Yami's voice. He should have known that Yami wouldn't leave him alone for too long. A part of him was glad for this, but the part that was still upset about yesterday's events took the lead.

Resolutely, and a tad bit childishly, flipped over on the mound of pillows and hid his face in their fabric. The 'cold shoulder' routine was a common action for people his age.

"Aiiiiibou."

Yuugi knew the exact second Yami stepped into the room, and expressed his annoyance through body language. The small teasing tone in Yami's voice proved that he had been found out.

A little miffed at this, he said: "Where were you?" The implied message 'You were gone _again_' was a large banner above his head. Yuugi didn't intend to sound so…rude, but he didn't have a lot of experience dealing with things like this. He had been along for most of his life and most of the conversations he heard were spiteful and cruel.

"Ohhh," Yami sighed, now he understood the young human's attitude. His mouth quirked into an amused smile. He would have to choose he words carefully if he wanted to calm his _bonded_. "Alright, so the next time I feel the need to relieve my bladder I should wake you from the rest you need?"

Yuugi felt a blush stretch across his face. Okay, so maybe he _was_ being a little spoiled, but he wasn't going to back out now. Stubbornly, he faced the wall opposite of Yami and closed his eyes tightly. He would not respond to the gentle nudge the gryphon sent to his mind. The sigh Yuugi heard was full of amused annoyance.

"You are so stubborn, Aibou." Goosebumps spread like wildfire across his shin as Yami whispered into his ear. How one earth did Yami get so close so quickly? Wait a minute…_whispered_? How come Yuugi could physically hear what Yami said?

Yuugi cast a suspicious glance around his shoulder, fully expecting to see the gryphon's feathered head sporting a chastising expression. His heart gave a start at what was actually hovering above him.

With a startled yelp, Yuugi flew from his little nest of pillows, tripping over the blanket and falling to the ground with a dull 'thud.' He scuttled backwards until his back hit a wall and the creature merely tilted his head to the side in confusion.

"Aibou?" That was Yami's voice, but Yami was a _gryphon_! And he spoke through telepathy!

The creature that spoke with Yami's voice was human in shape, sporting all the body parts of a human male. His hair shot up in ebony spikes tipped in a deep red and golden bangs framed a sharp-edged face. Small, black colored feathers grew around the edges of his face and some longer, thin feathers shot up into his tri-colored hair. Feathered ears, much like Yami's, poked through the mass of hair. Small, black scales covered both forearms and calves, much like the way a bird's feet are covered. Feathers larger than the ones on the creature's face covered the man from the waist down, effectively hiding anything that should not be seen. Ebony wings were folded snugly on his back and a familiar tail twitched back and forth behind him.

"Who…?" How could this be?! Was this some creature's attempt at deceiving him?! Or was he hallucinating?!

"Aibou, what-?" The man-creature reached for him, his face drawn together in concern.

"No!" Yuugi yelled, diving into another corner. "Who are you?! What do you want?!" Guilt bubbled up in him at the man-creature's crestfallen expression but he shoved it away. Where was Yami?!

"Little one, it's me." He reached for the confused human, palms facing upward to signify that he meant no harm. "I _am_ Yami."

Yuugi's eyes widened in realization at the resemblance this creature held to his gryphon…. No! This was just some kind of trick! He had to get away and find the _real_ Yami!

Jumping up from his corner, Yuugi tried to sprint past the imposter. 'Tried' being the key word. A tanned hand grabbed his arm as he shot past and he was pulled into the captivity of the man-creature's two arms. He struggled and called loudly for Yami, coming close to tears when the arms didn't let go. He was so confused! Why wasn't Yami coming to save him from the imposter?! Had he been left again?!

"_/I haven't left you, Yuugi/"_

Yuugi's eyes shot back open at Yami's mind-voice. A gentle feeling, similar to the one when he had first meet Yami, poured into him. He felt the man-creature sink slowly to the ground, pulling Yuugi with him. It was so strange: he could hear Yami's voice in his head _and_ in his ears.

Slowly, he stopped struggling. He had begun to make the connections between Yami's voice and the 'imposter's' voice. Was that _really_ Yami?

"_/Of course it is, Aibou./"_ The humanoid Yami nuzzled his hair in the same affectionate way he had as a gryphon, burrowing his nose into Yuugi's hair. The now familiar tail snaked around his waist and Yami's wings arched above their heads.

Yuugi couldn't help but melt against Yami as the soft emotions floating though their 'link' replaced the fear and confusion he had felt a few seconds ago. This feeling filled all the cracks in his soul that had formed over the night, putting him into a light daze.

"How come…I couldn't tell it was you?" Yuugi asked, more to himself than anything. How _could_ he have not noticed the threads that bound him to Yami? It shouldn't have mattered if Yami changed appearance. So…why?

"_/It's because you're dense, Aibou. /"_

Yuugi's face scrunched up in response. "…'M not dense." He protested, lazily swatting at Yami's arm when the human/gryphon laughed.

"_/Truthfully, /" _Yami started, his voice becoming slightly serious, _"/you might not have been able to 'feel' me if, on some subconscious level, did not want to see me. /"_ His sadness was a stark contrast to the previous emotions floating in the 'link'.

"…I'm sorry." Yami looked up in silent surprise. Yuugi's face was tilted downwards to avoid making eye contact with him. "I've been…inconsiderate. Heh, what am I saying? I've been a spoiled brat to you. I-I've-"

"_/Shh, Little Aibou. You have no need to apologize. I too have been inconsiderate. /"_ Yuugi began to protest, but Yami simply flashed yesterday's events through the 'link'. _"/Perhaps we _both_ have things we can work on. /"_

Yuugi nodded his head in silent agreement. He felt so much lighter now, like a weight had been removed from his chest. Yami cuddled closer to the content human.

"_/Well, now that we have that settled. How does breakfast sound. /"_

Yami's term of 'breakfast' turned out to be the best thing that happened to Yuugi in a long time. Freshly made biscuits sat in an uncovered basket, a plate full of dried meat sat in the center, a pair of canteens contained fresh water, a basket full of apples and pears sat off to the side, and a small dish of gravy lay next to the biscuits. All in all, Yuugi's mouth was imitating a waterfall at the mere sight and the _aroma_ had him diving for the offered plate like a starved dog.

The human/gryphon watched as his bonded tore into the food, and he was torn between amusement and pity. He could literately count the ribs through Yuugi's shirt and his hunger blared through their link.

He joined Yuugi at the table, securing a couple pieces of the dried meat and two biscuits for himself. He wasn't really that hungry, for he had eaten the night before, and it looked like Yuugi could use all the food he could get. Thankfully, Yuugi remembered where he was about halfway through his second pear and attempted to eat a little more slowly. It wouldn't do to choke.

About fifteen minutes later, Yuugi had polished off most the food that had been set out. Yami was grateful that he had snatched some of that food earlier or _his_ stomach would be growling now. Yuugi sat on the floor, because there weren't any chairs. He sighed, content to have eaten his fill for the first time in a while.

Yami went about cleaning the leftover apple cores and breadcrumbs from the table, shooing away Yuugi's offers of assistance.

"Thank you." Yuugi said. He tried to express his gratefulness through the 'link' and was rewarded with a prideful smile from Yami. He was catching on quickly.

"So…" Yuugi looked around awkwardly in the silence that followed. "What are we going to do today?"

Yami hummed as he gathered the dishes and stacked them neatly next to a cabinet. The leftover food, there wasn't much that hadn't been devoured by his famished human, was put away in their own separate container. _/"I had hoped that we could try flying again today, and I need to go purchase some things in town eventually…."/_ Yuugi just stared as Yami trailed off. Flying?! Town?! Was the gryphon crazy?!

Yami blinked at the shocked look Yuugi was giving him. Didn't Yuugi know that they would be flying frequently? He _was_ a creature of the sky after all.

The first thought that came to mind at the mere mention of flight was that awful drop. Yuugi had no idea how Yami could stand to do it every time he too off, but there was no way _he_ was going to get used to it. _Ever_.

Yami laughed. "Aibou, I don't always have to 'take off' like that. It's just easier for me since that was my first, second actually, time carrying a human on my back in flight."

"First time?!" Yuugi's jaw dropped in realization at just how easily he could have fallen. There was _defiantly _no way that he would leave the ground now.

_/"It's not that big of a deal, Aibou."/ _Yami consoled him._ /"It would be like…the first time you carried a child on your back."/_

"Child?!" Now Yuugi was mildly offended. Was Yami comparing him to a child?!

_/"Aibou,"/_ Yami's voice was flavored with a small amount of scolding, _/"you need to stop taking things so offensively. I merely meant that when I am in my true form, you are smaller that me. I was trying to help you understand that you really weren't in any danger."/_

Yuugi's eyes fastened onto a spot on the floor. Okay, so he didn't really think when he got worked up. He mumbled a 'sorry' and twiddled his thumbs in the silence that followed.

Yami sighed, running a hand through his wild hair. _/"It's alright, Aibou."/_ The words seemed to soothe a little bit of Yuugi's frazzled nerves. He reached out with his free hand to reassuringly touch his bonded's shoulder.

A gasp jumped into Yuugi's throat at the sudden swell of emotions that accompanied the contact. It was like the 'link' had suddenly doubled in size. The emotions that flooded though were like a sudden potpourri scented blast of wind on market day. Yuugi's and  
Yami eyes were wide as their deeper feelings and thoughts mingled, letting each experience exactly what the other thought, and blurring the line that separated them. Yami retraced his hand from Yuugi's shoulder in startled surprise.

Swaying under the sudden absence, Yuugi grasped onto the nearest thing to him, which happened to be Yami. Luckily, the flood did not overwhelm them this time and the boundaries between their minds returned back to normal (or as close as normal could get). Yami was having similar problems with balance but he was able to stable himself with an arm on the table.

"What…" Yuugi forced his mind out of its daze. "What was _that_?"

Yami shook his head forcibly in an attempt to focus. Whatever had affected Yuugi seemed to affect him as well.

_/"I'm…not quite sure."/_ Yami started, his eyebrows lowering as he concentrated. /_"Perhaps, this was brought about because I am in my human form? It is the first time I have touched you in this form when you weren't either unconscious, asleep, or freaking out."/ _The humorous tone in Yami's voice was welcome to Yuugi's ears and he laughed lightly in response.

"Okay, so I guess there is still a lot that we don't know about this…partnership?" Yami nodded his agreement at the chosen word. "Will that sudden flooding happen every time you change into a human?"

_/"I don't believe so."/_ Yami answered with a thoughtful expression on his face. _/"Do you remember the first true contact we had when I was a gryphon?"/ _Yuugi nodded. How could he forget that feeling of completeness? "I think that the same rules apply when I am in this form."

Yuugi 'oh-ed' in partial understanding. He didn't quite know what these 'rules' were but he was starting to get an idea on how this…bond worked. They, he and the gryphon, were connected on a spiritual level that allowed them to communicate mentally and literately feel the other's emotions. He didn't really know what being bonded to a gryphon entailed. Honestly, what did Yuugi have to offer? He had no money, no name in society, and he definitely wasn't strong enough to protect _anything_.

/"_Your companionship is all I ask for, _Yuugi_. I did not bond with you for any kind of profit to myself. I chose you because of what lies inside your _heart_."/_ Yuugi was pulled into Yami's embrace and the link opened up to let through emotions that backed up Yami's words.

They stood like this for a few minutes, taking comfort in the exchanged emotions. After a while Yami pulled away, earning a whine of protest from Yugi. He laughed good-naturedly.

_/"As much as I enjoy holding you, Aibou, if we want to get to the village before dark, we must leave now."/_ Yugi scrunched his nose. So they were still flying. Darn it! He had been hoping to get out of that. A hearty laugh broke his train of thoughts. He looked over to see Yami with his head tilted back, deep, rippling laughs causing his entire body to shake.

When he finally calmed down enough to look back down, Yugi was surprised to see tears of mirth in the corners of his eyes. _/"A-Aibou."/_ Another chuckle escaped his lips._ /"Do you really find flying that unappealing?"/ _Yugi stayed silent for a moment. Despite Yami's obvious amusement at the situation, he had the distinct impression that underneath that exterior emotion Yami was quite serious. Sticking out his (Yuugi's) tongue, he replied.

"Yes." Yami chuckled some more, shaking his head.

_/"It's truly not that bad, Aibou. If it would make you feel better I will not do 'that awful drop', as you so eloquently put it. But it will take me a little longer to get in the air."/_ Yugi was still hesitant. Yami came forward and put a hand on his shoulder. Looking into his eyes, Yuugi could see all the sincerity as Yami said. _/"I promise you Yugi, I would never let you fall, or get harmed in any other way."/ _Finally, Yugi nodded.

_/"Now, come. We need to get a few things for our trip."/_

Yami led him into another room, this one similar to the kitchen with many tubs and container. Humming an unfamiliar tune, Yami rustled through the contents of a container and extracted a coin purse full of jingling money. He retrieved a thin strip of leather and, after looping in through a couple loops in the coin purse that was designed for this purpose, secured it around Yuugi's waist and over one shoulder.

_/"I will trust you to hold this while we are flying. It should be able to rest underneath you clothes, that way no petty thieves should get any bright ideas."/_ Yuugi nodded, touched that Yami would trust him with something so important as money. He rearranged the coin purse so that it was situated snugly under his shirt and looked back to Yami, who nodded his approval.

Yami then went to a corner of the room and retrieved two rather large, leather knapsacks. Both of them had only one shoulder strap and they were both padded. He handed one to Yuugi, saying that they would need something to carry back their supplies, and kept the other for himself.

Smiling, Yami began the process of shifting into his gryphon form.

The process was, in itself, strange yet captivating to watch. A dark light, which contradicted Yuugi's understanding of the element, coated Yami's form in a dark blanket. Even darker colored feathers grew longer and larger as the human shape mutated. Yami's head grew larger and more round, and his body hunched as his muscles became that of a flier. Wings sprouted from his back in a plume of shadows and arched high above him. Claws grew from elongated finger and toenails, and ebony scales covered his forearms and the ankles on his back legs. Lastly, a familiar, long tail, tufted in golden feathers, curled out beneath him. The dark light then faded, leaving an ebony gryphon in their wake.

Yami, now the familiar gryphon Yuugi had grown accustomed to in so little time, knelt before Yuugi, offering a forearm to help him up. Yuugi quickly reached for Yami's knapsack and placed it over the gryphon's head, making sure that it was comfortable before he took a step back.

_/Hop on, Aibou. /_ Yugi, after pausing a moment to collect himself, swung a leg over his side and situated himself between Yami's shoulder blades. He reveled in the full use of the link. It, the link, seemed to be smaller when Yami was in gryphon form.

"Does it hurt?" Yuugi asked before he could restrain himself. He would have hit himself on the forehead for such a question, but Yami beat him to it with a question of his own.

_/Does what hurt? /_

Caught in Yami's curiosity, Yuugi had no choice but to reply. "The change. Does it hurt?" he clarified.

Yami shook out his mane of feathers; similarly to the way a horse would shake its mane. Yuugi was jostled slightly and he fisted his hands in the gryphon's feathers but he did not fall. /_Not anymore. /_ Yami answered with a heart-felt sigh.

Turning about, Yami made his way out the door and into the dark hallways. Yugi glanced about curiously; watching as the shadows retreated from the walls as they walked through, almost as if they were giving off a glow, yet there was no light.

"Mou Hitori no Boku, why do the shadows move?" The gryphon glanced at the walls.

_/That is my power, Yuugi. You remember me mentioning that each gryphon had a special 'talent', or magic, that was unique to him or her?/_ Yuugi nodded in remembrance. _/I can command the surrounding darkness to any whim I might have./ _Yugi 'oh-ed', thinking this over. /_Why, 'Mou Hitori no Boku'?/_ Yugi jumped.

"Eh?"

/_Why did you call me "Mou Hitori no Boku"?/_ Yugi shrugged sheepishly. He hadn't quite meant to say that, but the phrase and its meaning had been wandering around his head for a little while now and it seemed appropriate. He was Yami's partner and Yami was his; if this partnership was to grow to such a level that Yami seemed to expect then it would seem that they were extensions of the other. He tried to verbalize his thoughts.

"I don't know. I just figured that since we're partners and you look like me...and you have a name for me...I just..." Amusement drifted across the link and Yugi blushed in embarrassment.

_/It is fine, Aibou; though I wonder how you came up with it and how you intend to use it in normal conversation. It's quite a mouthful to say./_ Yugi nodded.

A soft light began to appear at the end of the tunnel. He felt Yami tense before rushing at the light, as if he were going to charge against a barricading door that needed to be brought down the quickest way possible. Yugi clutched onto his feathers as they neared the edge. All of a sudden, Yami plummeted towards the ground. Yugi screamed.

"Yami! You traitor!" Loud clicks and the distinct laughter through the mind-link was the only response he got. Yugi tightly closed his eyes, not wanting to see them get splattered on the ground. When their flight leveled off, and he realized they were safe, high up in the air, he reopened his eyes. He still made no effort to remove his face from the shield of black feathers.

Yugi huffed, taking in the much-needed air from the passing wind. "That was mean." He sulked. Again, Yugi got the same response of chuckles and clicks from the gryphon.

_/Aww, come on Aibou. Don't tell me you didn't enjoy it./_ Yugi's cheeks flushed and he pulled his elbows close together, a poor substitute for crossing his arms, and starred deliberately at a spot on the gryphon's neck in an effort to not look at the gryphon's face directly. The truth was, that for the smallest moment, he _had_ felt a thrill run through his body, daring them to get closer to the ground and see how close they could cut it. It was part of the reason he had closed his eyes. A rich chuckle went through his mind. _/See? I told you it would get better./_ Pouting, Yugi only looked up a bit to glare at the gryphon.

"I'm not talking to you." But the boy couldn't help but smile as he felt Yami's mirth continue across their link and the obvious jest was easily received.


	7. Chapter 7

Shadow Gryphon

Author: Shamise

A.N.: Sorry it took so long guys!! T-T I hit a particularly big writer's block for this chapter, and BC was taking up most of my inspiration. However, I've finally written out this chapter, and I do say that a lot happens [a plot maybe?]. Once again, thanks to Yizuki, who kept reminding me that this story existed and continues to be a wonderful help. *offers Yami gryphon plushie* So, without further ado, I give you the next chapter to Shadow Gryphon! Enjoy!

**~(*)~**

Yuugi's legs buckled beneath him when he slid off of Yami's back, and he grabbed the gryphon's shoulder to keep him balanced. Yami's feathered head swiveled around to give him some more support, unintentionally knocking the human off balance. Yuugi fell to the ground with a soft 'thud' and he glared at the gryphon.

Yami nuzzled him, laughing about how cute he was when he pouted. Yuugi's face blushed a soft pink and pushed Yami away, embarrassed.

"I thought we were going into town?" Yuugi asked, hoping to divert Yami's playful nature elsewhere. He set the bag he was carrying on the ground and tried to rub some feeling back into his legs. Who would have thought that you could get so sore from sitting?

"We are." Yami agreed, shaking loose some of his feathers as he stretched. "But it wouldn't be for use to just fly in there. They would probably try to shoot me out of the sky."

"Oh." That made sense, now that he thought about it. Most people considered gryphons to be dangerous creatures (which they were). Yuugi knew that Yami wouldn't attack anyone for no reason, but that didn't mean all gryphon's were like that.

Yuugi watched for a moment while Yami snatched the brown bag from the ground and moved over to the semi-shelter of some bushes. Shadows sprang up from the ground and the bulk of the gryphon's body shrank into a more humanoid form. Yuugi looked the other way when the transformation continued and Yami's feathers disappeared. He heard the rustling of clothes being put on, and he cautiously turned around when the noise ended. Most people in his village were not shy of their bodies, but Yuugi had grown up separated from large groups, so he did not have the luxury of this mindset.

He breathed a sigh of relief when he saw Yami fully clothes. The now human gryphon was settling the backpack onto his shoulders. He carefully stood up, thankful that his legs were feeling back to normal. He readjusted the money pouch into a more comfortable location, and by doing so, thought of something else.

"Hey, Yami?"

"Yes?" the red-eyed human answered. He left the bushes and walked back to where Yuugi was.

"Do you want the money pouch back?" Yuugi fiddled with the bottom of his shirt. He would understand if the gryphon would want to carry it, Yuugi wouldn't be able to defend against thieves anyway.

"No." Yuugi's head shot up. "I'm trusting you with it."

"B-but what if someone tries to take it?!" Yuugi interrupted, voicing his earlier thoughts. He wasn't particularly strong, and even though he was fast he could easily make a wrong turn in the city.

"Then you'll have to trust me to protect you." Yami replied, ruffling Yuugi's hair with a free hand. "Don't worry, Aibou. Not a lot of humans try to target me."

Yuugi's protests subsided as he realized the meaning behind Yami's words. It was the perfect opportunity to start trusting each other in all the degrees that this partnership entailed.

They emerged from the small path onto the large expanse of a well-used road. Yuugi stumbled momentarily as the terrain under his feet changed. Yami turned and waited fro Yuugi to catch up to his side, and together they headed east. The road was fairly smooth, and the other travelers ignored them.

Yuugi's eyes widened at the sight of all the wagons. He never knew they could be so big or so diverse. Horses drew some and oxen drew others. Some had covered tops, while others were open to the sky. There were even some painted bight colors!

Yami looked happily amused at Yuugi's childish wonder. If Yuugi acted this way towards _wagons,_ then he couldn't wait to see the human's reaction to the actual market.

"Yami, what's the market like? I've never really been to one before." Yuugi said, drifting closer to the gryphon's side. It seemed so...open out here.

"What's it like?" Yami repeated. "Hmm...it's very big. Many people come to this particular market and it's very diverse. I think you'll like it."

A smile grew on Yuugi's face and anticipation squirmed in his belly. His feet acquired a light step, and he was practically skipping before too long.

They had been walking for a while before Yuugi noticed children coming out of the wagons. A group started to form and what looked like a game was being organized. A few adults, mostly men who had just come of age, soon joined in and offered the addition of a rag-ball.

An interesting game of keep-away started up. Yuugi watched with avid interest as the kids and adults separated into about three different groups. Many used their feet to move the ball. Silently, Yuugi wondered what it would be like to play a group game.

Yuugi jumped in surprise when the ball was suddenly kicked towards them, and the rag-ball bumped against his foot. Confused, he looked back toward where the other children had gathered. They all looked at him expectantly, shy smiles on a few of their faces. What was he supposed to do?

"Kick it back to them." Yami suggested, gently nudging him in the arm with his elbow. The gryphon in disguise gave him a sly smile and took a few steps further down the path, leaving Yuugi the decision of what he wanted to do.

Smiling, Yuugi swung his leg back and kicked the ball towards where the other players were. Yami's silent approval gave him confidence to say 'yes' when he was asked if he wanted to play. He raced forward, mingling in with the crowd of players, and he played his very first keep-away game. His muscles stretched with the exercise, reviving some long lost experiences with positive stimuli.

"Over here!" he yelled to one of his 'teammates.' Seconds later, the ball came crashing his way, chased by several of the other players. Squealing happily, Yuugi stopped the flying ball with his chest, snatching it away with his foot when it hit the ground. He took off running, the other players hot on his tail. Hearing Yami's laughter over the yells of the players, he took off in that direction. The thunder of footfalls behind him warned of the closeness of the others.

"Yami! Catch!" he kicked the rag-ball over in the direction of Yami right as the other players converged upon him. Laughing, he squirmed out from underneath them as they tried to go after Yami, who was now in possession of the ball. He took off running towards Yami the moment he was upright.

Several minutes later, Yuugi collapsed on top of Yami, gasping for breath. The travelers finally had to go their separate ways, splitting up the game until only Yami, Yuugi, and a few others were left. Eventually, even they had to stop to rest, and the game was off. They thanked the owner of the rag-ball before he continued on with his caravan, and them promptly collapsed in a patch of sunlight (exactly where they were now).

Laughing, Yuugi rolled over off of Yami, his eyes shining merrily. That had been so much fun! He had never played a game like that before! He and Yami had gone out of their way during the game to tackle each other, trying to trip the other up. So far, the score was four Yami and four Yuugi, a complete tie. If he thought about it, Yami would have won if he were in gryphon form, considering that it was faster and could fly.

Yami laughed along with him, a deep-lunged laugh that vibrated through his frame, and reached up to ruffle Yuugi's hair. He sat up, folding his legs underneath him and readjusting the money pouch. Yuugi reached up to swat at the hand in his hair, stretching out his spine at the same time. He let the afternoon sun soak into his skin, dimly registering as Yami did the same. This was perfect.

He did not flinch or move away when Yami leaned up against him, in fact, Yuugi leaned back into the gryphon too. A different kind of warmth bloomed in his chest, similar in a way to what he felt when he communicated with Yami mentally, but it was in no way caused intentionally. Yuugi furrowed his brow at the feelings. He knew that Yami's presence caused them, but it was apart from the bond they shared. Did…did he _like_ Yami?

_O-of course I like him!_ He thought to himself, careful to keep this train of thought from reaching the relaxed gryphon. _He's saved my numerous times, a-and we are bonded! I'd be insane if I didn't like him._ Yuugi's hands twitched under the thoughts. _B-but…this feeling is different?_ He quickly rubbed the back of his hands against his closed eyes, trying vainly to get out the sudden feelings that coursed through him. He _couldn't_ like Yami like that! For one thing, Yami was a guy, and for another, Yami was a gryphon! Wouldn't that be bestiality?

"What are you thinking about?"

"Eek!" Yuugi squealed at Yami's sudden intrusion. He flailed his arms, scrambling away from the gryphon that was now only inches from his face. Yuugi's eyes went straight to Yami's mouth, the luscious lips that formed the most wonderful sounds, and his heart beat painfully in his chest. His eyes went wide as Yami tilted his heading confusion, mouth openings slightly. Millions of new thoughts bounced around in Yuugi's head, leaving him dizzy and short of breath. He found himself unconsciously leaning forward.

A horse suddenly neighed nearby, rebelling against its owner and making tons of noise. Just like that, the trance was broken and Yuugi scrambled away from Yami's concerned face. Gasping for breath, he placed his hand over his heart, trying vainly to get those images out of his head. What was he thinking?! He couldn't think about Yami like that! There was no way it would work!

"Yuugi? Are you alright?" Still trying to cover his blush, Yuugi waved his answer to Yami. The gryphon's concerned voice mixing with the sounds of the rebelling horse helped get his mind back on track. It was just the lack of air that caused him momentary insanity! Nothing more!

"Y-yea! No problem here!" he quickly rose to his feet when Yami reached out for him. The gryphon probably only meant to show his concern for him, but Yuugi wasn't quite sure that he could handle any kind of touch at the moment. Yami looked skeptical, just thankfully let it drop, and he too stood up. He paused to glance at the horse, who was finally back under control, then looked on down the path.

Yuugi gratefully took advantage of this time and forced his wild heart into submission, his breathing leveling out too. It was just a fantasy, nothing to get worked up over. Once he thought he had everything under control, he looked back to Yami. His breath hitched at the smile on the gryphon's face and a kernel of warmth dropped into his belly, but other than that there was no reaction.

"It looks like we are here."

"What?"

Yami laughed at his attentiveness, and gestured along down the road. "We are here, the city." Sure enough, when Yuugi looked in the direction Yami had pointed he saw how the path widened out and a few houses could be seen. Distracted Yuugi walked towards it, following Yami's lead. He blushed, but did not pull back when Yami slipped his hand around Yuugi's, gently tugging him along.

In no time at all, they arrived at the outer circle of the city. These houses were much larger than the huts Yuugi was accustomed to, and he marveled at the brightly colored banners that hung from the windows. The streets were crawling with people of different shapes, colors, and status. Merchants called out their wares to the prospective customers while some were already haggling at prices.

Smiling, Yami reached into the money pouch and withdrew a copper coin. He dragged Yuugi over to a stand that was selling these brightly colored crystals on sticks. "Pick one." Yami prompted.

_Pick one?_ Yuugi thought as his eyes roved over the multitude of colors. How could he pick just one? They all looked so cool!

"This one?" he said, pointing to a smallish one that was blue in color. The vendor applauded his choice (as all vendors were programmed to do) and exchanged the item for the copper Yami produced. Laughing, Yami then guided Yuugi away as the human looked quizzically at the item in his hands. It looked just like a quartz crystal (he had been extremely lucky to see one back in his old village), yet there was something…off about it.

"You eat it." Yuugi blinked. Eat it? Why would he eat a rock? "Just try it." Grimacing, Yuugi took a lick at the crystal. Instantly, is eyes grew wide at the flavor that bombed his tongue. It was sweet!

"It's a type of candy." Yami explained. "They call it Rock Candy, not a very original name is it?"

Yuugi followed Yami's lead throughout the market, relying on the hand that held his to keep them together when the crowd got too thick. By the time they finally reached their original destination, Yuugi's sweet confection was down to its last bite. He nibbled on the wooden stick as they crossed the threshold of one of the many stables that dotted this town. The stable offered more familiar scents to Yuugi than the market did, and the earthier hues and sounds soothed his overloaded senses. He remained silent as Yami hailed a stableman. Yami requested audience with someone named 'Mahad.'

"Who's Mahad?" he asked as the stableman ambled away to do as requested.

"He's an old friend." Yami answered with a coy smile. Yuugi pouted and crossed his arms against his chest. It figures that Yami would be in a teasing mood. "Don't worry, I'll tell you about him later."

It wasn't long before the stableman came back, towing another man in his wake. Yuugi stepped back when this other man greeted Yami with a hearty handshake, and took this opportunity to look him over. This other man was…tall: he towered at nearly twice Yuugi's height. He had straight, dark brown hair that was cut just below his jaw line, a very angular face (much like Yami's but longer), and his eyes were a calculating gray. He was skinny too, yet the tunic he wore told secrets of hidden strength.

"It's good to see you again, my friend." The man, who Yuugi suspected was Mahad, greeted Yami.

"It's been a while hasn't it?" Yami greeted in reply, releasing Mahad's hand after a moment. Yuugi ignored the jealous feeling that crept into his heart; there was no need to be jealous!

"It has. So, what brings you into the city?" Mahad asked, discreetly casting a glance at Yuugi who was trying his best to keep his feelings to himself. He blinked in confusion at the expression he received from the taller man. Was that suspicion?

"Supplies, mostly." Yami was saying. "I'm also showing my _aibou_ the market."

"_Aibou_ huh?" Suddenly, understanding dawned through the suspicion. "I was wondering when you'd find your partner." He turned to better face Yuugi (who had shied behind Yami when those gray eyes latched onto him). "It's a pleasure to meet you, partner of Yami, I am called Mahad Hesan."

Yuugi took the offered hand at Yami's prompting. "I'm Yuugi." at Yami's further prompting, he continued. "It's nice to meet you."

"The pleasure is all mine. So, how did you meet Yami? Did he whisk you away from your bed in the dead of night?"

Surprised at the sudden change in demeanor, Yuugi had a hard time coming up with a reply. Yami, thankfully, came to his rescue.

"Actually, it was from a cliff-side."

The blank look Mahad gave Yami made Yuugi snicker. Mahad quirked an eyebrow at Yuugi's laughter, and soon Yami joined in too. The tall man sighed, shaking his head at the duo. However, the movement of his head alerted him to the stableman who looked just a little too interested just to be curious. The man had come recommended from the local government as part of a new program they were trying to instill. Something about providing jobs for immigrants, or some other such nonsense.

"Perhaps we shall take this conversation inside." Yami instantly caught on to the change in his voice and glanced suspiciously at the stableman, while Yuugi only seemed confused. He remained silent as Yami tugged him along after Mahad.

The room they were led into was bathed in earth tones, and appeared to be a regular sitting room. Mahad offered them some tea, which Yami accepted politely, and the man disappeared into what probably was the kitchen. Yami settled down on a double-wide chair and patted the empty space beside him, inviting Yuugi to sit there. Blushing, Yuugi took the invitation and sat next to him, their thighs and hips brushing against each other. He blushed even more when the gryphon reached over and grasped his hand. Desperate to distracted his rapidly faltering thoughts, Yuugi blurted out the first thing that came to mind.

"S-so, who's Mahad? I-I mean, I know who his name now, but how did you guys meet?" he squirmed consciously in his seat, trying to pay attention as Yami looked thoughtful.

"I believe we meet…when I was younger, maybe ten years ago? I had been flying too close to the city and someone shot at me, they got my wing." Yami rolled down his collar to show a jagged scar that stood out on the skin of his shoulder. Gasping, Yuugi reached out to touch the scar, his fingers trembling. He had no idea that Yami had been hurt like that before. Yami tried to console him. "It is an old wound, and I am smarter for it.

"Mahad had been gathering herbs in the clearing I had landed in. At first, I had tried to drive him away, but I was injured and in no shape to retaliate. The herbs he had with him, thankfully, had a healing element, or enough of one that I wouldn't bleed to death." Yuugi cuddled up against the gryphon, listening avidly to the history of that scar. "However, the herb also had some properties that uniquely effect gryphons, and it caused me to change into my human form. To tell you the truth, I was scared out of my mind." Yami leaned against Yuugi as he said this. "I hadn't been around very many humans at that time, and the only one I _knew_ was a partner to a gryphon I knew."

"So what happened after that?" Yuugi prodded when the gryphon lapsed into silence.

"Well, it turned out that Mahad was a sorcerer, secretly of course, and he had little contact with gryphons before. While I recovered, we got to know each other, exchanging information and experiences. I visited again, after I had healed, and we even went on a few trips together: he searching for rare herbs, and I searching for adventure."

"More like trouble, if you ask me."

Squeaking, Yuugi jumped at Mahad's sudden entrance. The taller man strode into the waiting room and set a tray of tea on a simple table that was stationed in the middle of the room. He watched as Yami took the offered teacup and blew on the steaming liquid. Looking at Mahad, Yuugi politely took his cup and mimicked what Yami was doing. He never had tea before.

"As if you have any room to talk, Mister 'let's ask the troll for directions.'"

Mahad huffed indignantly. "At least I didn't insult the harpy, Mister 'I don't swing that way.'"

Blushing at the implications, Yuugi took a hesitant sip of his tea. The strange, bitter taste was a welcome distraction from the feelings that welled up in him at Mahad's comment. 'Swing that way?' Did that mean that Yami liked men over women? Yami didn't deny what Mahad said, so did that mean he actually had a chance?

_No!_ Yuugi thought stubbornly. He was happy with how things were now, and if he messed things up by trying to hook up with Yami then he'd never forgive himself. Besides, Yami only thought of him as a partner.

"_Anyway,_ I did not come here solely to reminisce." Wait a minute…was Yami _blushing?_ "We've run low on supplies and need to restock." Yuugi didn't notice how Mahad's eyebrow arched upward at the word 'we:' he was too busy gawking at the sight of Yami _blushing._ "Think you can hook us up?"

"Yes," Mahad laughed. "I imagine I could find a thing or two for you."

**~(*)~**

Yuugi happily munched on his half a loaf of bread, savoring the fresh taste. It was still warm too! Trying to maintain some manner, he calmly added some of the beef he had been given to a piece of bread and ate the whole thing in a couple of bites. Mahad and Yami were talking over their own meals of bread and beef, a simple mug of beer to wash theirs down while Yuugi opted for water. Beer never had settled well with is stomach.

"Ryou was around just the other day." Mahad was saying. Yuugi tried to pay attention despite the wonderful tastes that devoured his tongue. The physical activity of getting all their supplies organized and ready for transportation had sapped most of his energy, and he was grateful for the break for supper. This break in work also allowed for conversation between them all, and it allowed Yuugi to catch up on some of the history he hadn't been there for.

"Really? What for? I thought he hated the city."

"He still does," Mahad answered Yami's question with ease, taking a swig of his beer in the pause. "But Bakura, I imagine, was getting antsy, and you know how he gets when he's bored."

Yuugi blinked at the sudden animosity that broke out on Yami's face. It was a look so foreign that his heart skipped a few beats. He was once again reminded that Yami was more than the soft, reassuring partner that Yuugi knew him to be.

"W-who's Bakura?" Yuugi stammered cautiously. If this 'Bakura' was someone he should avoid, then he should at least know what he looked like, right?

"Bakura is a lying, stealing, ignorant bastard who should never see the light of day! I swear, the next time I see him I'm gonna castrate him, then hang him from a tree and let the crows pick out his eyes! I'm gonna-"

"Bakura is Ryou's _partner_." Mahad explained over Yami's rant. He offered an exasperated smile to the frightened Yuugi. "He and Yami have crossed paths before, much to the displeasure of the both of them." Yami was still ranting. "Don't worry about him." Mahad said, gesturing to Yami with his free hand. "He's just sore that Bakura snuck up on him while he was sleeping and painted his feathers pink."

"_Bright_ pink! In _permanent_ paint! Do you _know_ how long it took to get that color out?!"

Yuugi laughed, _now_ it made sense. He ignored the glare (which looked more like a pout to him) Yami sent his way, and gasped in handfuls of air to sustain his laughter. He missed the mischievous look that dawned on Yami's face, and the way the gryphon bean to stalk over to him. He didn't notice until it was too late.

"So you think it's _funny_ do you _Aibou_?" Squealing, Yuugi tried to get away from Yami's tickling hands. "St-top Yami!" he wailed in between laughter and crying. "I don't _think_ so, Yuugi. This is your punishment."

Finally, after many pleadings and a lot of flailing, Yami finally let Yuugi go. He collapsed upon the couch, gasping in great gulps of air. Yami also collapsed on the couch, directly next to Yuugi. They sat there, laughing animatedly as Mahad merely watched with bright eyes. He had never seen Yami so happy, nor so relaxed as he was right now. Finding his _partner_ had been good for him.

It took a while, but Yuugi managed to regain control over his laughter. He relaxed against Yami, his belly full of good food and his heart light. Contentedly, Yami nuzzled into his hair, humming gently. Yuugi's heart fluttered warmly to Yami's presence, and the soft brush of the other's emotions made him wonder how he had ever survived without it.

Several minutes later, after basking in each other presence quite thoroughly, Yami was nominated to go refill the beer mugs. Grumbling good-naturedly, the gryphon rose from his feet and trudged into the kitchen, leaving Mahad and Yuugi alone in the waiting room. Yuugi shuffled his feet quietly, mulling over all the new information he had. Ryou was a gryphon and a childhood friend of Yami's, and his human partner Bakura was a rival. Mahad was an old friend who was trustworthy with everything. Where did that leave him in this web of friends? Was he just a third-wheel? Something that would just get in the way of all these relationships? Mahad appeared to be Yami's closest friend, so would the sorcerer feel threatened by Yuugi's sudden partnership with Yami?

"Yuugi, is something wrong?" However, with one look into those gray eyes, Yuugi knew that Mahad wouldn't feel that way. The man was older, wiser than most, and he seemed to understand what the partnership between a human and a gryphon entailed. The gentle look and relaxed posture spoke volumes to the concerned Yuugi. Mahad was giving room for Yuugi to join his web of friendships. Gratefully, Yuugi smiled. Nodding his answer, he thought back to some questions he had of Yami. Things he didn't really feel comfortable asking the gryphon; like what the 'swing that way' comment really meant.

"Mahad?" he started softly. "I was wondering if-"

Suddenly the door to the sitting room banged open. Yuugi jumped, his eyes going wide in surprise as armed people poured into the small room. Shouts of "there he is!" and "arrest him!" permeated the air, and the armed people grabbed for him and Mahad. Yuugi screamed as unforgiving arms yanked him up from his seat, restraining him by twisting his arm behind his back and wrapping an arm around his throat. Eyes wide in horror, Yuugi watched at Yami burst through the kitchen, eyes aflame. He let out a furious shriek, diving for the person restraining Yuugi, feathers beginning to sprout from his back and arms as he started to shift. Yuugi screamed in fear when numerous 'guards' suddenly tackled Yami.

"Yuugi!" Yami screeched, morphing hand reaching out for the terrified human. Many guards were thrown off in Yami's blind fury, however, one of the guards suddenly came up with a really painful looking collar and fought to get it around Yami's neck. The moment the collar clamped around his neck, lightening shot from it, thoroughly electrocuting the gryphon.

"Yami!" Yuugi screamed as excruciating pain laced through him from the bond he had with Yami. It felt like he was being torn in two!

"Yami…" he whimpered as the gryphon collapsed on the ground, his red eyes dull. Limbs shaky, Yuugi barely heard Mahad yell for him as he stared at the prone form of Yami. He couldn't be dead; he was still breathing right? Right?!

Lost in the void that was consuming him, Yuugi freaked. "You bastards!" He screeched, fighting tooth and nail in his captor's grasp. He had to get to Yami! He had to be all right!

Suddenly, he was bashed across the back of his head, sparking stars in his vision. In the darkness that crowded his vision, he saw someone enter the room. This man was decorated in a noble's clothing and at his heel stood the suspicious stableman from earlier.

"Mahad Hesan," the noble's smug voice drove daggers into Yuugi fading consciousness. "You are hereby arrested for the housing of this witch and his demon. May the court have mercy on your soul."

Darkness overtook him.

**~(*)~**_end chapter_**~(*)~**

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